That's a hell of a lot of metal. Is this the main barn for the elephants? It is not fully enclosed and does not resemble a traditional pachyderm house but is interesting nonetheless.
Yeah, this massive display of steel really helps to:
1. Make it clear to visitors that elephants and other big mammals lived in what is now California 12,000 years ago (one of the officially stated goals of the exhibit).
or
2. How Asian elephants live in the tropical forests and savannas of southeast Asia (not a stated goal, but a pretty typical approach for zoos)
or
3. that working with elephants requires REALLY BIG cages
We all definitely need a lot more photos of Elephant Odyssey before things become clear as to the size and scope of the multi-acre pachyderm paddock. Also, there are numerous other animals in new enclosures that have yet to be shown on ZooChat, and I can't wait to read the debates on those exhibits! This particular photo is easily my least favourite, as it is simply a massive amount of steel that automatically makes me think of some type of prison. I wish that wasn't the first thing that came to mind, but this wall of metal is almost certainly the ugliest section of the entire zoo. How would it be even possible to get an accurate view of an elephant amongst all of that metallic garbage? Why is this visible to the public?
What's a lightning storm? Never heard of one of those.
After rereading some of the comments here and getting a tour of these facilities myself, I'd like to reopen discussion on this. This area is open to the public so guests can watch the elephants get fed up close and go through their daily medical routine. Visitors spend more time here than in front of the panda exhibits or probably any other place in the zoo. There are about 3-4 medical areas where the fences are designed so elephants can put their trunk, ear, or foot through for medical examinations or practices. Not to mention a contraption called the "hugger," which temporary gently restrains the animal for medical uses. These set ups are meant to be minimal contact with the elephants as one keeper at SDWAP was killed by an elephant. There are also three larger pens(including one inside) for temporary holding of the elephants to switch them in some of the larger exhibits or for other medical examination. A cat walk above allows for an overview of the entire facility and elephant exhibits. Overall the facility is very flexible and functional for elephant care as it is used as a barn, veterinary, storage, and keeper facilities.
A cat walk above allows for an overview of the entire facility and elephant exhibits. Overall the facility is very flexible and functional for elephant care as it is used as a barn, veterinary, storage, and keeper facilities.
Back when I visited the zoo I was also given a tour of the barn, and it is a really good one. Yes, it does have a lot of metal and it looks ugly, but it really makes it easier for keepers to care for the elephants. Walking on the catwalk was my favorite part, as I could see the elephants below and also the whole exhibit. Every single inch of the exhibit can be seen from up there, which must make it easier for keepers to monitor the elephants. Another great thing is the fact that most of the barn has dirt for substrate, with the only concrete found in the two (or three?) indoor rooms.
